Chapter 100
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Chapter 100: The Central Continent and the Elder Council
Not long after, the Dragon Cart was fully loaded, and the Core Formation stage cultivator controlling the Shattering Wind Dragon set the cart in motion.
"Fellow taoist friends, the Dragon Cart is now moving. We’ll reach the central continent in one year," announced the cultivator.
"Fighting is strictly forbidden on the Dragon Cart. Violators will be thrown off immediately."
With that, the Shattering Wind Dragon soared into the sky, pulling the Dragon Cart behind it.
Inside the carriage’s viewing hall, Xu Fan and Shan Chen sat side by side.
"Senior, why is there such a vast wilderness between the states?" Xu Fan inquired, a question that had long intrigued him, yet remained unanswered in the Que Tian Gate’s archives.
"First, there are the beasts. Second, these areas haven’t been conquered by us cultivators yet. And third, there are unknown terrors lurking deep within the wilderness."
"Much like the Endless Sea, even a Great Ascension Master might not return from there."
"Since ancient times, the beast race hasn’t managed to conquer these lands, and there’s no need for them to do so now."
"The beast race is our primary adversary at present," Shan Chen explained gently, pleased with the cost-free journey.
"Now I see," Xu Fan nodded in understanding.
Xu Fan produced a tea set, brewed a pot of tea, and poured a cup for the bodyguard captain.
"Thank you for your escort, Senior," Xu Fan said, raising his cup.
Seeing Xu Fan’s gesture, Shan Chen was momentarily surprised. This is too formal; he should know what I desire.
Shan Chen picked up his tea cup and took a sip.
"My current cultivation level is low, making the crafting of an artifact quite challenging."
"But I promise you this: once I reach Golden Core, I’ll craft a fine artifact for you," Xu Fan pledged, considering their meeting as fate and the promise a mere matter of time.
If fate brings us together again, I won’t refuse to craft an artifact for him.
"Master Xu, you’re too kind. We’ll discuss artifact crafting when the time is right," Shan Chen replied with a smile.
As time went on, the initial excitement faded, and everyone went about their business. Xu Fan spent this period solidifying his cultivation, moving smoothly from early to peak Foundation Establishment without any bottlenecks.
The journey was uneventful, and they arrived safely at a remote fairy city on the central continent.
Upon disembarking, Xu Fan and the others felt somewhat disoriented.
"Master Xu, I must bid you farewell," Shan Chen said as soon as he stepped off the cart.
"Senior, don’t forget our promise from Fifty Years later," Xu Fan reminded, referring to their planned meeting in the main fairy city of Central Continent.
"How could I forget? I’ll still be counting on Master Xu in the future," Shan Chen joked.
Then, he transformed into a beam of light and flew off into the distance.
"Master, where do we go now?" Xu Gang asked.
"First, we’ll settle in the main fairy city of Central Continent. Once we’ve assessed the situation, we’ll find a suitable place to establish our sect," Xu Fan explained.
He had discussed the sect’s establishment with Wang Yulun, who was fully supportive and had claimed the position of head of the future combat department. Watching the Dragon Cart depart, everyone finally grasped that they had truly arrived at the central continent.
Xu Fan took a moment to sense the surrounding spiritual energy.
"Can you feel it? It’s no wonder this is the central continent; even the spiritual energy here at the edge rivals that of Que Tian’s Outer Sect," Xu Fan remarked. The Outer Sect of Que Tian was built on a Large Spiritual Vein, which is why its spiritual energy density far surpassed other areas.
"Yes, it truly deserves to be called the most central place in this world," Wang Yulun said, squinting as he gazed at the distant floating island.
After everyone stepped into the fairy city, they were immediately approached by a group of enthusiastic people.
"Fellow cultivator, you must be new to the central continent. How about finding a strong ally and joining our Iron Mountain Sect? Our sect leader is at the Core Formation stage," said a Golden Core cultivator, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He even used the light shadow technique to showcase his sect to Xu Fan and the others.
"Iron Mountain Sect? It’s only a first-tier sect after a hundred years. You should join my Spirit Flying Sect instead. We are a second-tier sect, and our leader is a Tribulation-Transcending Expert," countered another middle-aged Golden Core cultivator.
Hearing this, Xu Fan and the others exchanged glances. A Tribulation-Transcending Expert was on par with the level of Que Tian Gate.
"Well, at least our Iron Mountain Sect has some real skills to rely on. What can you do besides collect protection fees? A second-tier sect that’s been around for 2,000 years," the Iron Mountain cultivator mocked. It was common knowledge that only three sects were recruiting disciples in this area, and everyone knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
At this moment, Xu Fan subtly signaled to Li Xingci.
Li Xingci acknowledged with a nod. With a finger as white as jade, he gently pointed into the air, causing the space around them to ripple like water. Soon, the two bickering sect representatives were amiably chatting with each other.
Xu Fan then led the group directly into the city.
Wang Yulun’s daughter glanced at Li Xingci and quickly turned her head away, her face slightly flushed.
Seeing his daughter, who was in her sixties, Wang Yulun felt a wave of relief that he hadn’t sent her to Xu Fan’s sect. If just a glance could make her react like this, joining Xu Fan’s sect would have been a disaster.
As they walked through the fairy city, Xu Fan felt as though he had stepped from the 1980s into the 2000s. The shops around them were already using the light shadow technique for advertising.
What caught Xu Fan’s attention the most was the sight of people in teahouses and hotels. At least half of them were watching virtual screens projected by communication artifacts. The moving images reflected on the screens were mesmerizing.
Xu Fan’s gaze shifted to the distant floating island. Could it be a base station?
Feeling like a country bumpkin in the big city, Xu Fan was overwhelmed by the sheer number of new and fascinating things around him.
In a commercial building, Xu Fan finally found some clarity.
"Fellow cultivators, you must be newcomers to the central continent," said the shopkeeper, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, as he handed each of them a jade slip.
"This contains basic information about the central continent. Take a look—it’ll help you navigate your travels here."
The shopkeeper’s friendly demeanor reminded Xu Fan of Pang Fu. If Pang Fu had been outside the sect during a life-or-death situation, his quick wit would have surely kept him safe.
"Thank you, shopkeeper," Xu Fan said, accepting the jade slip. He immediately used his spiritual sense to absorb its contents.
In an instant, tens of thousands of words detailing the central continent’s basic information flooded Xu Fan’s mind.
After processing it all, Xu Fan couldn’t help but exclaim, "Wow!"
From Xu Fan’s perspective, the central continent had already entered the 3G era in terms of information technology. It had a well-developed transportation network and a spiritual energy transmission system, akin to an electric system.
But what stood out the most was that the most powerful entity in the central continent wasn’t one of the top sects—it was an organization called the Elder Council of the Central Continent.
The organization’s slogan was a bit convoluted, but Xu Fan interpreted it as a call to build a better society together.
What made this organization truly formidable was its ability to levy taxes from all sects, merchant guilds, families, and even some spontaneously formed forces, all under the guise of developing the central continent.
Xu Fan’s earlier guess about the floating island was correct—it was indeed a combination of a base station and a service area.
Just then, an unusual sound echoed through the sky. A thousand-meter-long precious artifact flying vehicle zoomed overhead, heading straight for the distant floating island.
